Newcastle United are hoping to clinch a loan deal for Chelsea youngster Kenedy as Rafa Benitez continues to work to bolster a squad that will remain a striker light for the big kick-off against Spurs.

Benitez will host his pre-match press conference on Friday seeking to rally the city ahead of the visit of last season’s runners-up. The United boss was candid about his frustration and unhappiness with things that have gone on in the transfer window during the Premier League launch day but he remains “committed” to Newcastle and is seeking to find – in his own words – “solutions” in the transfer market.

Newcastle are hoping to tie up a deal for Chelsea's Brazilian youngster Kenedy (Image: AFP)

He is still three players short of the minimum squad depth and strength that he wanted but one of those berths might be filled by Chelsea’s promising-but-raw Kenedy, the Brazil under-20 international who can compete with Paul Dummett for the left-back slot but is also a quick and talented winger.

Benitez met the player in London on Wednesday and is confident of wrapping up a deal that would see the former Fluminese man join until the end of the season.

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Kenedy is a talent but there have been question marks over his attitude and application in recent seasons. He returned from a spell at Watford early and was sent home from a pre-season tour of China after posting insulting social media messages that offended the Blues’ hosts.

No doubt he was not a priority target for Benitez at the start of the summer but he will back himself to rehabilitate the player, who has been training on his own and apologised after the messages. Benitez said starkly on Wednesday that he is buying players he “needs” now, having run through the first set of options presented to Lee Charnley at the start of the summer.

Benitez wants more than that. Alan Shearer spoke to the Newcastle boss on Wednesday and revealed exactly what it was that the United manager is looking for.

He told Talksport: “He will have to have signs of bringing more players in and I think it’s a big two or three weeks regarding bringing a few more in. He needs that, there is no doubt about it.

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“He says he needs a new striker, he might need two, he needs a full-back, he also wants an experienced goalkeeper.

“He says they’re working hard to bring those players in and hopefully they can. I think we will know a lot in a month’s time and if he doesn’t get what he wants, than you might see it starting to unravel.”